Bassist Rudy Sarzo is famous for his work with legendary metal acts Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Dio, and others. As part of Ozzy’s 1982 “Diary of a Madman” tour, Sarzo was one of few people with a firsthand view of the plane/bus crash that killed bandmate Randy Rhoads at the young age of 25. After the crash heard round the world, Sarzo went on the road with Quiet Riot for several years, then Whitesnake, then the reunited Quiet Riot, as well as a tour with Yngwie Malmsteen in 2004.
Since 2004 he’s been Dio’s bassist, and is currently creating and developing a 3D animated series for TV, “ROCK DAWGZ,” at Ocean Visual FX in Huntington Beach, CA. Somewhere along the way he found time to write a book, “Off the Rails: My Adventures in the Land of Ozz,” published November 2nd after some legal wrangling as simply “Off the Rails.”
All Access Magazine asked photographer Valerie Nerres to talk to Rudy about “Off the Rails,” which has several never-published photos and is already getting rave reviews.
AAM: Tell me about your latest project, "Off The Rails."
Rudy Sarzo: It’s a book I wrote about my adventures with Randy Rhoads during my Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne years.
AAM: There’s a rumor that Sharon Osbourne tried to delay the book from coming out in 2005. Is that just a rumor, or is it indeed factual?
RS: Well, she did pressure my original publisher into dropping the book, which is unfortunate since the book is really a celebration of those wonderful times that we all shared, and there’s actually nothing detrimental in the book about them. At least nothing more controversial than they've already published about themselves. I have the highest regard for the Osbournes.
AAM: Since you were friends with Randy Rhoads, how is it that bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake recorded "Blizzard of Ozz"? Why didn't you and drummer Tommy Aldridge record the album?
RS: Well, it’s really tough to record an album when you're not in the band yet... “Blizzard of Ozz” and “Diary of a Madman” were both recorded essentially back-to-back months before Tommy and I joined the band.
AAM: If you could say anything to Randy right now, what would it be?
RS: It would be to thank him, thank him for saving my life, thank him for all the music he created. This book is a “thank you” to him.
AAM: In the book, right after the plane crash that killed Randy, hairdresser Rachel Youngblood, and your tour bus driver Andy Aycock (who was flying the plane around the parked bus), you state, "My conclusion is that Wanda was standing in the doorway of the bus like a human bullseye, when Andy deliberately crashed the plane [into the bus].” Given that Wanda and Andy's relationship was strained, why did you think that the crash was deliberate? Do you think he was aiming the plane at her?
RS: I go into that in Chapter 19. It was clear that there was in fact a struggle [on the plane between Andy and Randy] before the crash. Photographs taken by Don, the tour manager, prove that the plane was almost perpendicular when it clipped the tour bus before it crashed. I believe that Randy was [struggling with the pilot, Andy] trying to save our lives. The toxicology reports that were taken from Andy's autopsy showed that there was cocaine in his system before he died. This substantiates my theory on Andy's state of mind when the plane crashed.
AAM: How did you audition for Quiet Riot? How did that all come about? I just shot their show in Las Vegas, so it's interesting that I'm interviewing you now...
RS: I auditioned for Quiet Riot in the summer of 1978. I got a call form Kevin while I was living in New Jersey and arranged for my audition upon my planned return to Los Angeles.
AAM: How were you introduced to Yngwie?
RS: We’ve known each other socially since the early ‘80s. I first saw him perform shortly after his arrival in L.A. around 1983 with his band, Steeler. They were opening for Vandenberg at the Roxy and I was so blown away that I called Ozzy's management and advised them check him out.
AAM: Tell me about ROCK DAWGZ and your involvement with it.
RS: ROCK DAWGZ is a 3D animated TV series featuring the namesake’s all-canine ‘80s rock group. I really can’t divulge much about it since we're in the midst of negotiations, but I can go as far as to say that it combines 3 of my favorite things: 3D animation, rock and dogs.
AAM: Ok, some fun stuff, the famous word association:
RS:
Steve Harris – Mr. Triplets
Nikki Sixx – craziest hair in rock
Dana Strum – introduced Randy to Ozzy
Randy Rhoads – the most influential musician in my life
Bob Daisley – great songwriter and bassist
David Coverdale – best blues singer I've heard.
AAM: Since it's known that you keep a journal or "log," will we be seeing Quiet Riot, Dio, Yngwie or Whitesnake books in the future? You could call it the “Sarzo Trilogy,” haha.
RS: I wrote the book so I could do my part to perpetuate Randy's memory. I stopped keeping logs after I played with Ozzy. But I still have plenty of memories and crazy stories. It's one of the benefits of being pretty sober during the ‘80s.
AAM: Is there any one specific memory of Randy or playing with him that you take with you or that you've learned something from?
RS: It’s all the things that Randy brought to people. Randy was a teacher, a great communicator. He was ready to teach at the drop of a hat, and towards the end that was what he really wanted to do. He was a reluctant rock star. He was a musician. Period. The rock star thing was just an image. He always put his musicianship above everything else.
AAM: If there's one thing that people DON'T know about Randy Rhoads, what would that be?
RS: Well, I actually wrote the book so I could share just about everything I remember of those days. So I guess you'll have to read the book.
AAM: What other musical projects or shows have you been working on that you'd like to share with people?
RS: Dio has been touring constantly worldwide since I joined in 2004. During that period we recorded a live DVD, “Holy Diver 20th Anniversary.” We're playing a New Year’s Eve show in Bulgaria, then Dio reunites with members of Black Sabbath to do a "Heaven and Hell" tour. I'm looking forward to going into the studio next year to work on the next Dio record.
All Access would like to thank Rudy Sarzo for talking with us, and wishes all the best for him and all of his projects. Sarzo's book "Off the Rails" can be purchased at http://amazon.com, and you can find out more about Sarzo's long and prosperous career at http://rudysarzo.com and http://myspace.com/officialrudysarzosite.
